1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agri- and horticultural material and in particular to a novel agri- and horticultural material of completely different type from conventional agrichemicals and fertilizers and also capable of improving qualities of crops, which comprises selenium and if necessary vanadium.
2. Background of the Invention
In modern agri- and horticulture, insecticides, bactericides, weed-killers and other agrichemicals must be used frequently under the present circumstances for the purpose of labor saving, higher yield etc., but from the viewpoint of pollution of crops and domestic animals, environmental pollution, residual toxicity and hazard during handling, development of safer agrichemicals and less-polluting agrichemicals is strongly desired for agrichemicals. However, because agrichemicals are originally those for preventing harmful organisms, it is inevitable under the present circumstances to use highly toxic agrochemicals.
The foregoing also applies to fertilizers, and for the purpose of soil improvement, higher yield etc., various chemical fertilizers are used frequently, but a reduction in soil productivity is inevitable, resulting often in fruit-bearing in alternate years or in failure in repeated cultivation on the same ground under the present circumstances.
On the other hand, as the social situation on foods is changing, there is an increasing demand not only for higher productivity and yield of crops and foods but also for safety of crops and improvements in the qualities thereof, and in such improvements in the qualities of crops, there is also an increasing demand not only for an increase in sugar level in fruits etc. but also for taste and good body, that is, there is also an increasing demand for fruits and various vegetables having not only simple sweetness but also taste and good body, so there is an increasing demand for further improvements in the qualities.
Due to a reconsideration of frequent use of chemical fertilizers and agrichemicals, organic farming and organic cultivation using compost etc. came to be conducted in recent years, but these are conducted mainly for the purpose of safe cultivation using no or less chemicals, and for this difference in the purpose etc., these methods can hardly achieve improvements in the qualities of crops, let alone enhancement of taste and good body, and it has been desired to develop a superior system which can be substituted for these methods.
The present invention was made in view of the present circumstances described above, and the object of the present invention is to develop a novel agri- and horticultural material of completely different type from conventional agrichemicals and fertilizers and capable of keeping crop health, promoting growth to increase yield, and improving qualities of crops.